One Step At A Time
by CriminalOutsider'sGirl14
Summary: When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life as a fourteen year old with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)
1. Chapter 1

**One Step At A Time**

 **Summary : When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life at fourteen with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)**

 **~ October 31, 1954 ~**

Ponyboy waddled into the kitchen, his short legs moving as fast as they could with the motivation of candy. He was dressed clad in an itchy lion costume, fake fur that matches the color of his hair surrounded his chubby cheeks. Under it all he was beginning to sweat, but the young boy didn't seem to mind for he was all smiles.

Sodapop rushed outside, just behind his younger brother, dresses up in a Mickey Mouse getup, his ear headband sliding back and forth against his ears as he ran, tangling his thick blond hair. Mrs. Curtis smiled as she rested two year old Ponyboy on her hip, her pace matching her middle child's quick, energetic one.

"Slow down, Soda, the candy will still be there," she chastised gently, a smile etched onto her face.

Lastly stood Darry, calmly striding next to his father. The eight year old was dressed up as his favorite football player, Bob St. Clair, a maroon number 79 spray painted onto the back of his jersey.

Dim street lights lit the Curtis' way, not a single light on outside of any of the East-Sids houses. To find a house to trick or treat at, the five had to venture out into the subdivisions of the upper middle class neighborhoods. No one on the East Side could afford to give out candy to the neighborhood children, so on the family went.

The Socs' white picket fences were perfectly straight, not an ounce of chipping paint on them as they surrounded large, looming brick houses. Mr. Curtis was suddenly highly aware of the grease stain on the corner of his shirt, a large hole in his jeans at the knee. With a sigh he continued walking, biting back his pride. As he gazed upon his children, he sent up a silent prayer that by time they were old enough to understand, things would change.

All it took to change that next moment was a drunk high school student who was too soused to pay attention to the mother in front of him, who held her youngest son in her hand. By the time that he realized what was happening, it was far too late.

Suddenly, the sound of squeezing tires and the smell of burning rubber overwhelmed Mr. Curtis' senses before he could even react. He heard a sickening crunch following by his wife's unmistakable scream, and the image of his wife and son under a white corvette was permanently etched into his mind.

 **~ Mid-August, 1966 ~**

Ponyboy kicked a rock with his one good leg, listening to the clocks it made as it made its journey into the highway. After three light clicks the sound was overpowered by a rumbling engine, a sound not made by any of the barely-running cars that belonged on the greaser's side of town. Ponyboy glanced quickly over his shoulder, his heart dropping as he laid eyes on a souped up black mustang full of Socs. It's engine growled threateningly, inching along at Ponyboy's pace slowly and menacing, looking like some kind of demon the way it was painted all black. Ponyboy quickened up his pace, but the young boy was no match for a sports car.

The car cut off Ponyboy's escape route effortlessly, and before the auburn haired boy could blink, he was surrounded by five brooding high schoolers. They had to be juniors and seniors at least, and Ponyboy instantly recognized them as football players he had seen at the last game he has snuck into.

"Whatchya doin' here, greaser?" The tallest one, a black haired guy named James, slurred.

"Hey, guys, I don't want any trouble here." Ponyboy tried to reason, his eyes jumping around in search of a weapon or an escape route.

He found neither.

"Yeah? Is that right, greaser?" Another one of them asked emotionlessly. He then got close enough to Ponyboy's face that the teenager could smell the cigarette smoke and beer on the older male's breath.

"Well guess what? You're kind is nothing but trouble. We're going to teach you a lesson. Get him, Andrew."

Ponyboy was on the ground in a second, his head banging against the concrete painfully. He hissed, kicking his legs and arms as wildly as he could, screaming for help. He felt a hand clamp over his mouth, muffling his cries. He bit down and the owner of the now bleeding hand punched him in the face, cussing angrily.

"Stupid greaser. Nothing but a piece of trash. He needs to be taught a lesson."

"Two-Bit! Darry! Sodapop!"

"Shut your stupid mouth, for Pete's sake!"

A huge blow landed suddenly into Ponyboy's temple, instantly turning his world into nothing but black, fuzzy spots. He blinked quickly in an attempt to restore his vision.

"Get lost, trash!" A new voice suddenly demanded, a dangerous tone lacing his husky voice.

"Come on, beat it, Socs!" A familiar voice threatened as the five suddenly took off running. Ponyboy knew the voice, but through his dizziness he failed to place it until the owner's face appeared in his field of vision.

"You okay, kid?" Two-Bit asked, offering a hand to help Ponyboy up. The younger boy effortlessly pulled himself up, straightening his prosthetic as much as he could through his jeans.

"I think so," Ponyboy answered, taking a mental inventory. "Yeah. Just a little dizzy."

Dally clasped him on the back. "You're tough. You're alright."

Ponyboy grinned. "Tough enough to take you on?"

"Only in your dreams, kid," Dally replied.

"The two of us were just headin' over to your place when we heard you hollering," Two-Bit explained. "Were you heading home?"

"Yeah. I was over at the movie house when," Ponyboy held his hands up, referring to the jumping, before he picked up his jacket and dusted it off. The three started walking towards the Curtis house, but Ponyboy trailed behind a few steps, his missing leg hurting worse than any of his other injuries.

 **A/N: This was written in two hours, a product of me laying in my bed listening to Imagine Dragon and Panic! At The Disco, trying to make something that would get me back into the habit of writing every day. This will be continued. I hope that you guys enjoyed!**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	2. Chapter 2

**One Step At A Time**

 **Summary : **When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life at fourteen with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)

 **Disclaimer: No, silly, I never have nor will I ever own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. *sighs* :( I simply borrow them for my own creative enjoyment purposes.**

 **White collar black wolf: Thank you so very much for your review! :)**

 **Kas3y: I'm glad that you thought so! Thank you so much for your review. I hope you continue to enjoy.**

 **HappierThanMost: A little dose of heartbreak for your hopefully fabulous day. I'm really excited to have Mr. Curtis alive- he's a character I don't often get to explore. Thank you so much for your kind words, Happier. You are a fantastic reviewer and person. :)**

 **Sofie (Guest): I totally will! Thank you so much for your kind review.**

 **Amanda (Guest): Thank you so much for your sweet words, love. I am so glad that you enjoyed this story. And yes, it does mean Darry is in college, but he won't go back for another two and a half weeks. He's on summer break right now. :) Again, thank you so much for your review!**

 **Outsiders-stories-forever: Thank you so much. You are so kind. :) Here is the second chapter!**

 **Chapter 2: Flashbacks and Football**

 **~ Friday, August 12, 1966 ~**

Ponyboy limped into the house, his eyes downcast from his father, praying with all of his mighty that his father wouldn't notice the purple bruise beginning to form around his right eye.

"What happened, Ponyboy?" Mr. Curtis drawled, unaffected by his youngest son's hiring attempts. Ponyboy sighed, turning around to look directly at his father.

As soon as Mr. Curtis saw the bruises, he sighed. It was times like these that he wished the woman he was lucky enough to call his wife for ten years was still alive. He missed her with every ounce of his being everyday, but he felt sorry for his youngest son the most. Darry had gotten to know his mom, and Soda at least had a few real memories that melted together with what he had been told, but Ponyboy remembered nothing other than a song she used to sing to him to calm him down.

"I got jumped. Black Mustang," Ponyboy responded. Mr. Curtis placed a hand gently under his son's chin, examining the damage before deciding that Ponyboy was alright, besides just a nasty bruise.

"Did you give 'em hell?" Darry joked from the kitchen, downing a cup of milk in one easy gulp.

"Watch your mouth, Darry," Mr. Curtis lectured, but his tone was only semi-serious. Darry grinned, wiping off the milk that covered his upper lip.

"Hey, do y'all wanna play a game of football?"

Ponyboy nodded happily, while Two-Bit broke out in a wide grin.

"Heck yeah, Superman. Let's go. Kids on my team," Two-Bit declared.

"Alright. Me and Dally versus you, Soda, and Ponyboy. That's a fair stack," Darry decided. He heard his father laughing quietly as the boys ran outside in search of a football, eventually finding their usual football in the shed.

The five each respectively got into their positions, listening as Darry called, "Hike!" Ponyboy couldn't run as fast as the others, but he could get himself open by the touchdown line and almost always caught the ball when his teammates threw it. Two-Bit intercepted as Dally tried to throw the ball to Darry, and ran halfway down the lot until he saw Ponyboy was open. He threw a perfect spiral towards the youngest greaser, letting out a whoop when Ponyboy crossed the touchdown line without being tackled.

Ponyboy felt himself grinning. Some days, he wished he could do everything the gang could, but other days, he was perfectly content with the one leg he had. He knew how to make the best of it, and he hoped his mindset would stay that way.

 **~ Thursday, May 6, 1960 ~**

Darrel lifted the pan of chicken from the oven, his stomach growling as soon as the smell hit his nostrils. He removed a knife from the drawer, cutting halfway through a piece of chicken to check for any pink. He sighed internally when he saw that a light strip of pink ran across the middle of his chicken. He set the pan back in the oven disappointedly before his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the screen door opening and shutting.

"Soda? Pony?" Darrel called out, but he received no replies in return. He turned around just in time to see Ponyboy disappear into his room, without Soda.

"Dad, he was crying on the bus. He wouldn't tell me what was wrong," Sodapop said sadly, concern filling the nine year old's chocolate brown eyes.

"I'll talk to him, Soda. Can you get Darry from outside? The chicken is in the oven, don't let him burn it," Darrel instructed. As a thirteen year old, Darry rode a different bus that got home before his younger brother's bus.

Darrel slowly turned Ponyboy's door handle, knocking lightly as he did.

"Hey, kiddo."

Ponyboy sniffed. "Hey."

Darrel sat down on the edge of Ponyboy's bed. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Ponyboy shrugging, wiping at his eyes. "Mother's Day is soon. And my teacher is making me make a card! Even though it told her mom isn't here. And... I don't know, but I'm just sad. I don't know what card to make her, I don't even remember what she likes."

Darrel sighed sadly. "How about I help you with the card tomorrow night, and tonight I can tell you a story about her. Would you like that?"

A small smile tugged at Ponyboy's lips, a stark contrast to his tear-stained cheeks. The seven year old nodded lightly.

"Alright, so," and Darrel began recounting stories of the woman he married; stories of the times she sang to her kids, or the story of how Darrel proposed, and even the story of her favorite book that she used to reread all of the time (which Ponyboy decided to redraw the cover of for his Mother's Day card.) Darrel recounted stories that Darry and Sodapop eventually migrated in to hear, the family's dinner cold and forgotten on the counter.

 **A/N: Done with school! Yay. *Does Happy Dance* And I hurt my foot, again, so I can't work or train for my 5K, so all my time is being devoted to summer classes and writing for about another week or two. Should update at least probably two times a week during the summer! :) That's my goal, at least.**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	3. Chapter 3

**One Step At A Time**

 **Summary : **When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life as a fourteen year old with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)

 **Disclaimer: No, silly, I never have nor will I ever own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. *sighs* :( I simply borrow them for my own creative enjoyment purposes.**

 **White collar black wolf: Thank you!**

 **Kas3y: Thank you so much. I'm glad that you thought so!**

 **HappierThanMost: Always one to bring a smile to my face. You're reviews are so long and helpful. I love reading them. I'm glad I made your heart melt, heartwarming is a life change from dark and depressing like I normally write lol. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your heartwarming words, they mean so much to me and a lot of other authors on this site.**

 **Amanda (Guest): I love writing him! And Two-Bit, my favorite. I love him too. :) I'm okay, thank you, and right! Clumsy me. Thank you so much for your review love.**

 **Candymouse22: I love writing him as a cool older brother! It's been a lot of fun writing this story, because the characters are in such different scenarios. And in my head, Ponyboy's lower leg, right below the knee, was shattered and ran over by the drunk driver. Being that he was young when it happened, he's learned how to participate in activities with his prosthetic. Thank you so much for your review!**

 **KT (Guest): Thank you so much for your review! And it does, but I don't think I'll be out longer than a week, and if I am, I'll probably run anyways, so it'll be okay. I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Chapter 3: Movies and Mistakes**

 **~ Saturday, August 26, is 1966 ~**

 _Ponyboy decided that next time he wanted to go to the movies, he would go alone. Going to the movies with Two-Bit was too much of a headache, and when he tried to watch whatever movie was playing, it was like someone was looking over his shoulder. It was something he had always thought when it came to the gang and movies, and he should have stuck to it. It would have saved him so much trouble._

 _He would have even gone to the movies that night if he knew what he was in for._

* * *

"Ready for a night of fun?" Two-Bit called out happily, a beer in his left hand. Mr. Curtis wasn't home, so he was able to drink in the house without getting a disappointed look. The boy's father figure never forbid Two-Bit from drinking, but he could tell that the older man preferred that he didn't drink.

"Sure," Ponyboy responded, rolling his eyes at Two-Bit's already slurring speech. How Two-Bit thought he was finally going to pass the junior year by showing up to his first day of school hungover Ponyboy didn't know, but what he did know was Two-Bit had offered him a reprieve from his uneventful, mundane summer days and he was going to take it, even if it meant babysitting a drunk Two-Bit.

"Let's party!"

 **OoOoOoO**

Ponyboy and Two-Bit arrived outside the gate just as "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini" began playing. Two-Bit slipped under first, offering a hand to help Ponyboy slip through. The front half of the younger boy made it through easily, until he tried to slide his bottom half under and sit up. The top of his prosthetic got caught in the chain link, digging a broken chain link deep into his leg. He hissed, a few cuss words slipping from his mouth.

"Crap, kid, you alright?" Two-Bit asked, looking concerned as he helped adjust the younger boy's prosthetic so that he could get through.

"Yeah, just bleeding a little," Ponyboy assured him, wiping away the small spot of blood that dotted his leg.

As the two greasers began walking away, Ponyboy glanced back at the link that had cut him, relieved that getting a tetanus shot wouldn't make the list of things he had to do.

"Dee Dee's hot," Two-Bit commented after a minute or so into the movie, giving a quick, low whistle, sticking his feet up on the unoccupied seat in front of them.

"I thought that you liked blondes, Two-Bit."

"Well, I can appreciate women with a darker hair color, on occasion."

Ponyboy rolled his eyes at the older man's response. "Mmhm. You just like her tits."

"And I'm _not_ ashamed! You'll understand when you're older, Ponyboy. Just you wait."

Before the auburn haired greaser could even respond, a cold voice interrupted their lighthearted banter.

"Well, well, well, look what we got here. A couple pieces of trash sitting in our seats."

"Last time I checked your names aren't on these seats, pal. And I've got about five buddies around here packing worse things than your liquid courage, so I'd watch it," Two-Bit replied coldly, standing up to reach their height.

"I'd watch yourself, _pal_. I can smell the cheap beer comin' off your breath all the way from over here."

There were four of them, dressed in white pants and Madras shirts. They were all bigger than Ponyboy and although he would never admit it, his hands shook with nerves at his side as he stood behind Two-Bit.

"Boys, you better take it outside," a worker warned in a serious voice. Ponyboy saw the man stand up, giving the six a once over.

Two-Bit gave the Socs a cheeky grin, the alcohol in his system giving him a dangerous sense of calm.

"See you, boys," Two-Bit called as the left. Ponyboy hushed him, glancing back over his shoulder nervously.

"Shoot, Ponyboy, I think we just barely escaped that one," Two-Bit declared once they were outside. Ponyboy opened his mouth to respond, a slight chuckle escaping through, but the sound of a distant yet distinctive engine took the words right out of his mouth.

"I wouldn't speak so fast," Ponyboy warned, picking up his pace to a fast, but awkwardly stiff walk. He didn't turn around when he heard the engine shut off and footsteps behind him. He just kept walking, hoping that the farther they led the Socs into greaser territory, the more likely it was that backup would arrive.

No one showed up.

Ponyboy felt an arm grab him from behind, grabbing him tightly around the neck, closing off his airways. He coughed, gasping for breath, but none came in. He saw Two-Bit go wide-eyed as the older man was punched in the face, ensuing a fight.

With a surge of adrenaline Ponyboy kicked his foot back, but he couldn't hit anything besides step on the guy's foot. He finally threw his head back, his head making contact with the Soc's nose.

With one Soc with a broken nose and another on the ground after his tussle with Two-Bit, the four took off towards their vehicle. Ponyboy took in a few deep breaths, greedily enjoying being able to breath again.

"You alright, kid?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Are you good?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Two-Bit decided, a small smile tugging at his lips. "That was fun. We should do this more often, you know, as like a last day of summer tradition or something."

"You're crazy, Two-Bit, you know that?"

"I sure do, Ponyboy Curtis."

 **A/N: I know I've had Ponyboy get jumped twice in three chapters, I promise that won't happen throughout the rest of the story.**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	4. Chapter 4

**One Step At A Time**

 **Summary : **When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life as a fourteen year old with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)

 **Disclaimer: No, silly, I never have nor will I ever own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. *sighs* :( I simply borrow them for my own creative enjoyment purposes.**

 **White collar black wolf: Thank you!**

 **Kas3y: Aww I'm glad that you're enjoying. :) Thank you so much for your continued, kind reviews; they mean so much.**

 **HappierThanMost: I'm glad it was fun! A nice change from how most of the other chapters will be. I love Two-Bits voice, and I was surprised in this chapter. I'm glad that the characters are still acting realistic. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review. :)**

 **Chapter 4: First Day Blues**

 **~ Monday, August 29, 1966 ~**

"Hey, kiddo, wake up."

Ponyboy rolled over slowly, coming face to face with Darry. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut unhappily.

"I know, I know. But hey, I'm leaving, and I won't be back till Thanksgiving, okay? I need you to wake up for me."

"Mhmm..."

Darry shook Ponyboy again. "Goodbye, little bro, I love you."

"M'kay, Darry. Bye," Ponyboy mumbled sleepily. He heard Darry laugh before the door clicked shut, and the younger boy was instantly out like a light.

 **OoOoOoO**

Ponyboy woke up to an unusually quiet house, with Darry already back at Oklahoma State and Sodapop unusually quiet. But Soda was always quiet the first day of school; moody, sulking, basically throwing the teenage equivalent of a full-brown temper tantrum. Sodapop was easy going about a lot of things, but school was not one of them.

"Sodapop Curtis, if you don't drag your sorry behind outta bed this instance, I'm going to tan your hide, you understand me?" Mr. Curtis lectured, breaking the silence of the rundown, three bedroom house. Ponyboy could hear Sodapop groaning, and he knew a million excuses were already forming in his head, but not a single one would work. The last time one of his excuses worked he was seven and faked the flu, but Dad found out an hour into his scheme and tanned him so good Soda didn't try to skip again until the fourth grade.

Ponyboy opened up the fridge, assessing its contents with a quick glance before resigning himself to a bowl of cereal. He downed the bowl of Cheerios in about a minute flat, draining the honey cinnamon flavored milk into his mouth before escaping into the bathroom to grease his hair.

"I swear, Ponyboy, you take longer than a girl. If you don't open that bathroom door, I'm going to have to leave you here and take Elizabeth Adams to school," Sodapop threatened a few minutes later. "I have to _pee._ "

Ponyboy rolled his eyes, opening the door so Sodapop could go to the bathroom. He grabbed his backpack and converse from his room, beating Sodapop to his car.

"I swear, Sodapop, you take longer than a girl. If you make us late, I'm liable to just Hotwire your car and pick up Michelle Wilkinson instead," Ponyboy quoted, his sass earning a smack upside the head from Soda.

"Watch it, or I will throw you out of this car. Even if we're moving."

"Aw hush. You're just mad because it's the first day of school."

"Damn straight. But it don't matter anyway- I'm gonna drop out as soon as I find a way to tell dad. I just gotta talk to Mike first about upping my hours," Sodapop declared, starting up his car's engine with a low rumble.

Ponyboy was slack-jawed. "No you ain't."

"Yes I am. Watch me," Sodapop declared defiantly.

"You-you can't drop out, Soda. You ain't a hood-"

"Don't talk about hoods like they're a bad thing. We're greasers, Pony, hoods by definition. I'm dumb, and I don't need to keep twiddling my thumbs when I could be working."

"I can help you, Soda. I'll work with you every night on your homework," Ponyboy tried to reason, but Soda shook his head.

"I ain't any good at school, and I'll never be. Now quiet, this is a good song," Sodapop shushed, leaving Ponyboy silent but devastated.

 **A/N: A little short, but I felt like it was a natural stopping place, sorry. And I'm still deciding on where I want to take this story, so I needed it stopped there. But as always I'll be updating daily, so you won't have to wait too long. Please remember to review! :)**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	5. Chapter 5

**One Step At A Time**

 **Summary : When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life as a fourteen year old with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)**

 **Disclaimer: No, silly, I never have nor will I ever own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. *sighs* :( I simply borrow them for my own creative enjoyment purposes.**

 **White collar black wolf: Thank you so much! I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. Here's the next one.**

 **HappierThanMost: I love Darry in college as well! I'm glad I've gotten in realistic details in this story, that's always my goal. I hope you enjoyed the Soda scene in here! And literally the banter between any of the boys is my favorite to write and read. I'm so glad that you liked the chapter, I value your opinion so much! Thank you for taking the time to always review. :)**

 **Amanda (Guest): Yay I'm so glad that you thought so! I was really insecure about the way I wrote that. And true! I'm loving Darry in college too. Thank you so much for your review love. :)  
**

 **Candymouse22: I remember him saying he was heartbroken when Sodapop dropped out in the book, so I tried to show that in here. I'm glad you enjoyed the brotherly banter, that was my favorite part to write. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!**

 **Kas3y: Aww, thank you so much! :) You're so kind.**

 **Chapter 5: Drama, Dropout, and Decisions**

 **~ Friday, September 8, 1966 ~**

The bell chimed as Sodapop pushed open the door and walked into the DX gasoline station, his eyes landing on the man he was anxious to talk to; his boss, Mike. There was a bright orange dropout form sitting in his car, folded and hidden under the passenger seat, waiting for his father's signature.

"Hey, Mike? Can I talk to you before my shift starts?" Sodapop asked politely, relieved when Mike motioned for him to follow the older gentlemen into his office.

"What's on your mind, Curtis?" Mike drawled. As a World War II veteran, he referred to all of his employees by their last names; Randle, Curtis, Alvarez, Smith, and so on, and there was a rumor that he probably didn't even remember any of his employees' first names, but Soda still thought he was one of the best guys he has ever worked for.

"I was wondering if you had a position for me here full-time."

"You droppin' out of school?" Mike questioned, but he didn't sound disappointed or angry. Just curious. It was the first semi-positive reaction Sodapop had received since he told Ponyboy about his plan.

"School just isn't for me, Sir. I'm not meant for college, I'm meant to work with cars," Sodapop explained.

"You're a good worker. If you're daddy gives the green light to you dropping out, then I'm happy to have you here full-time," Mike decided, his words instantly taking a huge weight off of Soda's shoulders. The younger man stood up, shaking hands with his boss.

Sodapop walked outside, spending the remaining fifteen minutes of his shift sitting in his car with his head against the steering wheel, his mind swirling with a million different ways to tell his dad, but he knew not a single of them had a positive, argument-free outcome.

 **OoOoOoO**

Since Sodapop laid a bombshell on him a week ago, they hadn't spoken about it since. Pony had been upset, but whenever he had an opportunity to talk to Sodapop alone, he couldn't think of what to say to convince him. That is, until Sodapop came home from work one Friday night while Ponyboy was out on the porch smoking.

"Hey, Pony," Sodapop greeted. Ponyboy didn't say anything, so Soda sat down on the porch next to his little brother and watched him light up his cigarette, but the younger boy refused to make eye contact.

"You're really mad at me, huh?"

Ponyboy sighed. "I'm just upset that you're giving up. I could help you!"

"It's a waste of time," Sodapop interjected. "You're not mad. You're just disappointed in me, aren't you?"

"A little bit," Ponyboy admitted after a pause. "I'm just disappointed that you won't stick it out two more years."

The word "disappointed" cut right through Soda, but he wasn't mad. He knew how important school was to his little brother, and this was something that would take him a while to get over.

"But I know you're gonna tell Dad tonight, so let's see what he says."

Ponyboy stood up, but before he disappeared into the house he offered Sodapop a cigarette.

"You're gonna need it," was all he said, but to Sodapop it was a peace offering of sorts, a silent agreement that although he didn't agree with Soda dropping out, he had his back. Sodapop finished out the cigarette, allowing it to take the edge off of his nerves.

 **OoOoOoO**

No words were spoken. Sodapop just walked inside and sat a bright orange form in front of his dad, who was working on bills at the kitchen table.

"Sodapop Curtis, what is this?" Darrel's voice had a hard, warning edge to his otherwise calm demeanor.

"I'm dropping out," Sodapop explained, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

"Not over my dead body you are," Darrel exclaimed. Sodapop sat down at the kitchen table across from his father.

"Dad, I'm not meant for school," he pleaded, begging his father to understand. "I want to work with cars, and I'm just wasting my time at school. I'm dumb anyway."

Darrel took a deep breath. "You aren't dumb, Soda. And don't you at least want a high school degree?"'

"Mike already said he'd hire me full-time, what's the point? I'm failing anyway. My math grade is at a 42%. And that's the highest it's been all year!"

"Let me think about it," Darrel decided finally.

Three days later his dad never said anything, but the dropout form reappeared on the kitchen table with Darrel's signature on the bottom right corner.

 **A/N: If anyone has any suggestions/requests that would be great, I'm in desperate need of a filler because I got rid of some of my ideas and now my whole outline is messed up. Plus I don't mind doing requests anyways, so send them in please!**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	6. Chapter 6

**One Step At A Time**

Summary: When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life as a fourteen year old with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)

 **Disclaimer: No, silly, I never have nor will I ever own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. *sighs* :( I simply borrow them for my own creative enjoyment purposes.**

 **White collar black wolf: I'm glad, thank you so much!**

 **HappierThanMost: I'm so glad that you liked it! I was really nervous about the argument with Soda and Pony, so I'm glad that you liked it. And as did Darrel's reasoning, I don't think I'm gonna go back to it to explore his decision in depth. I left it up to the readers to decide about Darrel's reasoning, instead focusing on Sodapop's thoughts. Thank you so much for reviewing! I love reading what you think of my stories because I admire your opinion so much! It means a lot that you always leave me reviews. :)**

 **Amanda (Guest): Very true! I have Darry coming home for thanksgiving, and I have Sodapop's birthday planned out as well lol. But the idea about his prosthetic being messed up and the drag races are good ideas and have been written down. Thank you so much love!**

 **Candymouse22: Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. And I hope it still seemed realistic that he did.**

 **KT (Guest): I have that coming up, don't you worry! :) Thank you so much for your review love.**

 **Outsiders-stories-forever: That's actually a really cool idea! Thank you so much! I started it off in this chapter, I hope that you enjoy it!**

 **Chapter 6: Date Night and Nightmares**

 **~ Friday, September 16, 1966 ~**

"Darrel Shane Curtis, you are _the_ most impatient man to ever walk the face of this earth. Shut your trap and sit down or you ain't getting any tonight," Rebecca drawled, pretending to be angry. A tube of red lipstick sat in her hand, unable to apply between answering her boyfriends impatient questions.

"Yes, ma'am," Darry laughed, plopping down on the couch to wait for his girlfriend to finish getting ready. He smiled to himself, wondering how he ever ended up with a girl like Rebecca. She was a brunette, standing only 5'2" and 110 pounds soaking wet. But her attitude was larger than life.

"I'm ready!" She called, suddenly appearing in the crack of the now open bathroom door. She never failed to take the wind from Darry's lungs, whether she was in an old T-shirt and jeans or a little black dress.

"You look stunning, Bec," Darry complimented, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before the two walked towards Darry's truck.

"I love you, Rebecca. You know that?" Darry's voice held an edge of teasing with the last part, but his first four words vocalized seriously.

"I love you too, Darry," she replied, a smile breaking out across her face. Darry looked over at his girlfriend in the passenger seat, her head laid against the window contently, wondering how he ever got so lucky to find a girl like her.

 **~ Sunday, September 18, 1966 ~**

 _The cold air began to pick up, swirling and blowing loose leaves into the air. Ponyboy's green eyes went wide, watching in amazement at it all. The cold air felt good, due to the sweat that was beginning to build around his neck from the thick, wool lion costume._

 _A light flashed in front of him, distracting the young boy. He reached a chubby hand out in front of him to try and catch the firefly, but it flew higher into the air, beyond the two year olds reach. He waved to it, a small but carefree giggle escaping from his lips._

 _His attention was still focused on the firefly when all of a sudden pain erupted all over his body. He felt himself fall over, the pressure of something sitting on top of him, but he couldn't see what. He started crying, searching everywhere for his mom._

 _"Momma?" Ponyboy called out softly as sobs began to escape his chapped lips. He couldn't move or see or do anything but cry. The pain was tremendous, but his leg hurt worse than any other body last._

 _All of a sudden brightness took over his vision and he looked down at his legs and hands, he realized with sudden comprehension that he was a teenager. The blinding lights dimmed to reveal his mother standing in front of him. He recognized her from the pictures he had seen over the years, but she didn't look anything like the beautiful, happy, kind woman he was used to seeing. The sheer maliciousness on her face made him tremble._

 _"You killed me!" She screamed, her voice an angry, high-pitched shrill, startling him._

 _"I-I didn't mean to," he cried, feeling two years old again as the tears ran down his face uncontrollably._

 _"You're a monster. And a terrible child. I wish I never even had you! You killed me_ and _your brother!"_

 _"Darry? Soda?" Ponyboy asked fearfully, his mind racing to recall the memories._

 _"You killed Sodapop! After everything we've both done for you, and you treat us like this?"_

 _"Sodapop?" Ponyboy repeated in a small voice, begging, hoping that this isn't really happening, that Sodapop isn't really gone. "Soda?"_

"I'm right here, Ponyboy," Sodapop assured his younger brother, giving him another hard shake in an effort to wake him up. It worked because all of a sudden Ponyboy shot up in bed, crying and shaking, gasping desperately to breathe like a fish out of water. He was covered in sweat, but Sodapop didn't care, he just wrapped his younger brother in a hug. He rubbed his back softly, reacting, "it's going to be okay, Pone. You're safe. I'm safe. It's okay," over and over again in an effort to calm the younger boy.

"I-I thought that I killed you, Soda," Ponyboy cried.

"I know. But you didn't. I'm right here."

After a few more deep breaths Ponyboy was able to slow down the tears, eventually calming himself down, but the whole event had exhausted him.

"W-Would you, uh, maybe stay with me, Soda? Just for tonight, please?" Ponyboy asked softly, looking down at his hands in embarrassment as he spoke.

"Sure thing. Scoot over," Sodapop replied, plopping down dramatically on the other side of the bed. He smiled as he threw an arm around Ponyboy.

"I love you, little brother," Sodapop whispered into the night as both brothers fell into a peaceful slumber.

 **A/N: Gahhhh, I'm terrible at romance. I hope this isn't as cringy as I think it is, but I've edited it to as good as it is going to get...I promise I won't make the whole story this bad.**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	7. Chapter 7

**One Step At A Time**

 **Summary : **_When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life as a fourteen year old with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)_

 **Disclaimer: No, silly, I never have nor will I ever own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. *sighs* :( I simply borrow them for my own creative enjoyment purposes.**

 **White collar black wolf: Thank you so much for taking the time to review. I'm glad you are continuing to enjoy my story. :)**

 **Kas3y: Thank you so much!**

 **HappierThanMost: You never fail to make my day, Happier. You're so dependable and helpful with your kind reviews. I'm so glad you liked it! I've always seen Darry with a spitfire kind of girl, someone who will keep him on his toes. I tried to make the dream as heart wrenching as possible, so I'm glad you seemed to see that. Thank you so much for taking the time to review, Happier. Have a fantastic day.**

 **Amanda (Guest): Ugh, I wanted to vomit, but that's just my general distaste of romance. However, I'm glad that you liked it. Thank you so much for your kind review!**

 **Chapter 7: Savings Accounts and Broken Prosthetics**

 **~ Monday, September 19, 1966 ~**

Darrel had been trying not to think about what he had done, what he had allowed his son to give up, but that plan was wrecked when two weeks later Sodapop offered him his first check since going full-time.

"You don't need to overwork yourself, Dad. Please, take it. I got plenty of money, and I want to help out," Sodapop offered, pushing the check towards his dad.

Darrel shook his head adamantly, handing the check back to his son. "No, it's your money, son, but if you really have enough money, why don't you open up a savings account or something," Darrel suggested. He had already allowed him to give up his education, the least he could do is not let him sacrifice anything else. His son could build up money for when he wanted a house, or a wedding, or something, but he wouldn't let Soda spend his money on him.

"Fine," Sodapop agreed, upset his dad wouldn't let him help, but then continued, finding the idea of a savings account harmless enough. "How do I do that?"

"I'll take you to the bank after work tomorrow," Darrel replied. Sodapop wandered off in search of Ponyboy to occupy him, satisfied with Darrel's answer.

The older man sat down at the kitchen table, his head in his hands. He couldn't have imagined at twenty when his wife first gave birth to Darry, that this was going to be his life. He had lost his wife, had two more sons, one with only one leg, one son in college and another college bound, and one son a drop out. But as he thought about his son, about how happy Soda typically was, he thought about how Soda was when he was in school. The answer was the complete opposite of how he was when he was working on cars.

Maybe being a dropout wasn't such a bad thing, at least not for everyone. Maybe being happy was better than other people's idea of success.

 **OoOoOoO**

"Ponyboy? You home?"

"Yeah, Johnny, it's just me," Ponyboy replied, looking up from what he was working on as Johnny walked into the living room. When Johnny laid eyes on what Pony was doing his mouth dropped open.

"I was able to walk home on it, but it was really cracked," Pony explained, looking down at his broken prosthetic. "It fell into two when I tried going up the steps."

"How did it get cracked?" Johnny asked softly, sitting down next to Ponyboy. It didn't look good, a diagonal crack cut all along the middle of the leg, completely shattering the prosthetic into two. The kind that Ponyboy had consisted of a plastic part of the top to attach to what was left of Ponyboy's leg, which was the part that was now broken in half, and then the bottom half was a metal rod that connected into a fake, plastic foot.

"I just to go to the bathroom. And that asshat senior, Bob Sheldon, and a few of his buddies jumped me in the hallway. Broke my leg." Ponyboy's voice held a bitterness Johnny had never heard before. "It lasted me walking on it all day, until I tripped walking up the steps."

"We'll get it fixed. Come on," Johnny assured him, standing up in search of some superglue. He located it in one of the far kitchen cabinets, and began helping Ponyboy glue his prosthetic back together. They had almost finished when Sodapop walked in.

"What the- Ponyboy...what happened?" Sodapop stumbled over his words, a confused expression covering his face.

"The Socs at school cracked it when I went to the bathroom during math class, and then it broke completely when I got home," Ponyboy repeated his previous story, and Johnny couldn't help but notice how his fourteen year old friend suddenly sounded so much older and exhausted.

Sodappp let out a few curses under his breath, mumbling about the bastards would live to regret hurting his little brother.

"Let it go, Soda. Just help me finish gluing this before Dad gets home. I don't want him mad, either. He's got enough on his plate."

Sodapop let out a long sigh, but with the sigh also went most of his anger. Biting back the rest of it, for Ponyboy's sake, not the Soc's sake, and began to help hold the prosthetic in place as the glue dried.

"Try it out, Ponyboy, see if it works," Soda suggested after poking the ring of glue, feeling to see if it had finally dried or not. Ponyboy stood up and took a few gently steps, slowly adding more pressure on his prosthetic until he realized it really could hold him again. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, relief flooding his system.

"It works?"

"It works," Ponyboy replied, letting out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Well, I believe that this calls for celebration," Sodapop suggested. "Milkshakes at the Dingo, anyone?"

"I'm in. Come on, Johnny, lets go."

As the three excitedly made their way outside in search of milkshakes, Ponyboy realized he was lucky to have his brothers and the friends that he called his brothers to count on. Always.

 **A/N: Review? Any requests on what you guys would like to see? Any criticisms to make it better, or thoughts on what you liked about it? Hit the button below, every last comment makes my day. :)**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	8. Chapter 8

**One Step At A Time**

 **Summary : **_When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life as a fourteen year old with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)_

 **Disclaimer: No, silly, I never have nor will I ever own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. *sighs* :( I simply borrow them for my own creative enjoyment purposes.**

 **Guest: I smiled so much when I read your review! I'm glad I got to show some brotherly love. And I will make sure Dallas is included in one of the next few chapters! Thank you so much for reviewing. :)**

 **White collar black wolf: Thank you so much for always sending in a review, and being so quick. They are MUCH appreciated.**

 **Kas3y: Thank you for your idea! I will do my best to fit it in, it's a lovely idea, but I just want to do to later because I have involved the Socs a lot lately. Thank you so much for your review!**

 **HappierThanMost: I'm so glad that you enjoyed the last chapter. Thank you so much for your kind reviews!**

 **Amanda (Guest): You are so welcome, thank you for suggesting it! I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter, thank you so much for reviewing as well!**

 **Chapter 8: Newly Seventeen**

 **~ Saturday, October 8, 1966 ~**

Sodapop jerked awake at the sound of singing (more like screeching in an off-key, off-tempo tune, but Soda was willing to give the benefit of the doubt and call it singing). He opened his eyes to find his little brother sitting on his stomach, his fingers poised and ready to pounce with their building attack, while his older brother stood in the corner of the bedroom, his pale blue eyes twinkling with a mischievous gaze.

"...Happy birthday to you," his family finished, their voice bursting with happiness as Ponyboy's higher-pitched voice mixes with Darry and his father's deep and husky voice.

As they finished, Sodapop was suddenly assaulted with violent tickling. He choked on his own laugh, his body desperately trying to wiggle away from the torture. It was all in vain, however, because the attack didn't cease until his dad and brothers got bored with the torture they were inflicting. Ponyboy rolled off of Sodapop, lazily flipping back down on his pillow next to his older brother. He then turned to face him, a carefree smile lighting up his face.

"Come on, lets go get some food," Soda suggested. The four boys happily jumped up and raced into the kitchen, where a stack of freshly made pancakes sat on the counter top. Of course, they were chocolate chip pancakes, Sodapop's favorite. They were a rare, but delicious delicacy in the Curtis household. Sodapop claimed three to begin with and soaked them in syrup to the point where when he picked up a piece with his fork it could barely hold itself together due to the amount of syrup that had soaked into the piece, which was just the way Soda liked it.

He knew right then it was going to be a great day, and he was excited to spend it with his family.

"Hello, Curtis family!" Two-Bit hollered as he flung open the screen door, his husky voice ringing throughout the tiny house. Two-Bit entered the kitchen, followed by the rest of the gang that Two-Bit had somehow wrangled up before he came over. Sodapop was wished happy birthday times four to which he grinned at.

"Thanks, guys."

Mr. Curtis interruption the younger boy's conversation to offer breakfast, to which Steve and Dally excepted while Two-Bit assured him he had already eaten, and Johnny wordlessly shook his head.

After eating their breakfast and playing a few rounds of poker, (Mr. Curtis won two of five games) it was decided that it was time to open presents. Johnny sat in the living room with his back against the wall while Dally lazily sprawled out on the floor, with Steve and Sodapop on the couch. Darrel took his place on his chair with the family camera in hand, while Ponyboy sat at his father's feet.

"You've got to be kidding me," was the first thing Sodapop said when he opened up Steve's present, laughing. Rolled up in familiar blue and green wrapping paper, (it had been sitting on a shelf across from the register for a solid three months) to find two "gentlemen's magazines" and a couple of condoms.

"Happy birthday, idiot."

Soda slugged his best friend, laughing, but he was smiling just the same. Steve chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. Soda set the present aside, expecting nothing less from his best friend.

"After you open it, Soda, I'm going to have to explain a little," Darrel informed his son as Sodapop picked up his present next. Sodapop nodded, slicing open the box with a nearby pair of scissors. Inside was an old watch, looking to be from around the 1920's.

"It's from your Uncle Patrick. He left each of you boys something, and so I figured I would give you yours this year," Darrel said. Sodapop's grin was humongous as he inspected the watch intently, his brown eyes sparkling with curiosity. After he finished and thanked his dad, he picked up red next person's present, a soft smile still present on his face.

"Johnny and I went in on your present together," Dally explained.

"Thanks, Johnnycake. Thanks, Dal."

Johnny smiled shyly and Dally just nodded before Sodapop began opening his present, tearing through the newspaper wrapping. As the present opening progressed Soda got continuously more anxious to eat cake, so the present opening began to get more and more messy and the wrapping began getting torn into more and more pieces. But by the end of it, Soda had a new football from Darry, a butterfly knife from Johnny and Dally, and a new leather wallet that Soda had been eyeing from Two-Bit. Lastly, Sodapop carefully opened up Ponyboy's. The younger Curtis looked embarrassed as Sodapop handled the box's contents.

"I know it's not much...and I wasn't really sure-"

"I love it, Ponyboy," Sodapop breathed, meaning every ounce of what he said. Wrapped inside the wrapping was a brand new wrench, the kind that Soda had been hoping for since he started working at the DX. And underneath the wrench was a notepad, but not just any notepad. At the bottom of every page was a calligraphy of Soda's name, looking extremely professional. He didn't know how his little brother had afforded all of the stuff, the wrench alone must have cost him a fortune.

"I know you ain't goin' to school no more, but I thought you could use the notepad when you opened up your own shop," Pony explained quietly. Sodapop grinned, throwing an arm around his little brother to give him a hug.

"Thanks, kiddo."

Sodapop was right; it had been a great day. That night, Sodapop fell asleep with a smile on his face.

 **A/N: Thank you so much to HappierThanMost for her help on this chapter. She is my savior, and also one of the most talented, but humble writers on this site. Thank you a billions, sweetheart. You rock girl, seriously.**

 **P.S. Th next chapter should be up around either tomorrow or Wednesday. :)**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	9. Chapter 9

**One Step At A Time**

 **Summary : **When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life as a fourteen year old with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)

 **Disclaimer: No, silly, I never have nor will I ever own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. *sighs* :( I simply borrow them for my own creative enjoyment purposes.**

 **White collar black wolf: I'm so glad that you enjoyed the last chapter! Thank you so much for your review.**

 **Kas3y: Thank you so much, dear!**

 **HappierThanMost: You very much deserved it, I would not have been able to write that chapter without your help and allowing me to voice my opinions to someone and get feedback. I tried to make the chapter more lighthearted and fluffy as a break from the more angsty side the other chapters are. Thank you so much, Happier, for everyone that you do. :)**

 **Candymouse22: Right! But it was something I could very well see him doing! xD Thank you so much for your review!**

 **Chapter 9: Two Generations, Two Broken Hearts**

 **~ Wednesday, October 19, 1966 ~**

Darry turned the gold handle of his apartment door, the hinges squeaking softly in protest as he did so. He slipped off his muddy boots with his feet before walking into the living room. He was exhausted, having gotten up at five am to take his Chemistry exam, and all he wanted to do was take a nice, relaxing power nap before he started his shift at four p.m. that afternoon. However, as he laid eyes on two people making out passionately on the couch, he knew that wasn't going to happen and he had to resist the urge to roll his eyes as it would further worsen his already pounding head.

"Get a room-" Darry was stopped cold as the two people broke apart quickly, haven been spooked by the fact that there was someone in the apartment. The girl his roommate had been making out with stared at Darry, like a deer caught in headlights, her familiar hazel eyes wide and scared.

"R-Rebecca?... What the...?" Darry fumbled for words. What was he supposed to say? His girlfriend of eleven months broke eye contact and refused to look back at Darry. Her brunette bangs fell into her eyes, giving her a shield.

"Rebecca..."

"Darry, man, I'm so s-" Thomas stared.

"I think you need to leave," Darry interrupted, his voice monotone. Wordlessly, Thomas nodded. He had been friends with Darry long enough to know if Darry got mad enough to start swinging, he was in for a beating. Not even the captain of the swim team could take on an angry Darrel Curtis.

Rebecca silently slipped out behind Thomas, eager to leave the unpleasant situation. Darry numbly sat down on the couch, too tired to even think, his mind slowly working through everything he had seen. He stared blankly at the empty wall across from him, a million questions swirling through his head but his heart too broke to answer them.

As he sat there, Darry was shocked when he suddenly felt something wet slip down his cheek. Giving in, he let the rest fall silently, betrayal fueling their creation as he felt the world that he thought he had built far away from the pressures and stereotypes that plagued him in Tulsa suddenly crumbled right in front of his eyes.

 **~ Monday, October 31, 1966 ~**

Ponyboy woke up early Monday morning, a cold weight sitting heavily in the pit of his stomach. The pictures of his mother that hung on one of the living room walls seemed to stare at him, a reminder, as he trudged slowly and tiredly into the bathroom to take a shower before he had to leave for school.

As he washed his hands, he looked at himself in the mirror. Were the green-grey eyes that stared back at him the ones that stared at him as he walked the hallways of his house? Were the curls that began to take to his hair when it grew out too long the product of his mother's blonde, curly hair? The unanswered questions rang in his mind, along with knowing his mother could be sitting in the kitchen making pancakes, sending him off to school with one of her famous, warm smiles, if it wasn't for what happened twelve years ago.

Ponyboy splashed a shot of cold water on his face, trying to flush his thoughts down the drain. He didn't want to think anymore, the twinge in his heart was enough to tell him he wasn't ready. He didn't think that he would ever be ready. He missed the woman he would never know too much.

 **OoOoOoO**

Darrel found himself distracted all day at work, on top of a house in the middle class neighborhood. His mind was elsewhere, thinking about his wife, causing him to hammer his thumb more than once.

He could remember that faithful day like it was yesterday. Although he never woke up screaming like Ponyboy, the image of his beautiful wife bloodied and broken, lying dead in the middle of the street was something he would never forget, and it often haunted his dreams.

Darrel sat in his car a few extra minutes after he pulled into the driveway that night. This day was a day he often felt like retreating into a hole and just sleeping the day away, forgetting it all, or maybe grabbing a friend and heading over to a local bar to get so wasted he would forget, but he knew neither one of those things were options that were available to him when he had two boys that needed him.

Finally, Darrel pushed open the screen door, ready to face two moody and grieving boys. But oddly enough, he found something that didn't often happen. Most Halloweens, Darrel would come home and find his three boys in one of three moods: crying and talking about their mom with Darry recanting the stories he remembered, or moody and angry, getting into more fights with each other than they ever would normally, or lastly, staring blankly at an empty wall, too emotionally exhausted to cry or fight.

But today, he found that the gang was over, distracting the boys from their pain. They were playing cards, and Darrel was surprised when he heard the sound of both of his boys laughing. He smiled to himself. He would always miss his wife, but maybe, maybe things weren't as bad as he thought. He would never have his wife, and his boys would never have their mother again, but they had the gang and Darrel had his kids and he knew he would be okay. Not perfect, but they would be okay. Twelve years ago the world he had built in Tulsa had crumbled, but today he realized that maybe the world he had put back together wasn't so bad.

 **A/N: Good, not so good? I'm kind of iffy on this chapter...**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	10. Chapter 10

**One Step At A Time**

 **Summary : **_When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life as a fourteen year old with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)_

 **Disclaimer: No, silly, I never have nor will I ever own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. *sighs* :( I simply borrow them for my own creative enjoyment purposes.**

 **White collar black wolf: Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed it.**

 **Kas3y: Thank you for taking the time to review!**

 **HappierThanMost: Really? That comment made my day because I felt like it was choppy and unrealistic. The girlfriend idea was not mine, it was requested. I'm so glad that you noticed the part with their worlds crumbling. I wanted to tie in Darry's heartbreak with Darrel's heartbreak, so I was glad that you caught that! I hoped that at least someone would.**

 **Amanda (Guest): That's totally okay! Thank you for finding time to send me such a sweet review. It really made me smile, so thank you! :) Have fun on your trip!**

 **RiceCrispy98: I'm so glad that you are enjoying! I'm going to do my best to work that in with my plan for this story, see if I can write something with it because I think that would be fun to write. Thank you so much for your review!**

 **Chapter 10: Are you hiring, Sir?**

 **~ Tuesday, November 15, 1966 ~**

The chill of the air seemed to seep into Ponyboy's bones, through his winter jacket as he walked towards the library. The jacket was hardly built for winter, it had been Soda's jacket until he outgrew it at fifteen, and it was now Ponyboy's. The sleeves were too long and the thread was thinning, leaving Ponyboy only partly protected from the cold Tulsa wind.

For the past three hours, Ponyboy had visited every reputable business owner in the entire Tulsa area, aside from businesses on the Soc side of town. He had even gone to places in the middle class area, but no one seemed to be hiring. He left his phone number with multiple places, but they all seemed to indifferent to care about a fourteen year old who just wanted a job to finally start helping out, and saving for college.

He pushed open the door to the DX, the warm air blasting his face, relieving him from the sting of winter's grasp outside. He called out a greeting to Steve, who only grunted from underneath a car. Soda, however, flashed Ponyboy a movie-star grin as he rang up an elderly couple at the counter. Once they left, Pony walked over to his older brother and started filling him in on the day's events.

"I went to three different libraries, Dairy Queen, the Dingo, and a few others, but no one seems to be hiring," Ponyboy complained, frustration lacing his voice.

"Shoot, kiddo, why don't you apply here?" Soda suggested warmly. Ponyboy's eyebrows furrowed together.

"Really? You guys are hiring?"

"No, we ain't," Steve said from under the car, his voice muffled.

"Don't listen to him. We are, actually. He's just cranky because he got chewed out by Mike this morning," Soda sassed, kicking Steve's legs that stuck out from under the car gently. A wrench suddenly came flying out from underneath the car, barely missing Soda, but the blond-haired greaser just laughed.

"Alright," Ponyboy finally agreed, interrupting the playful fighting. "I'll apply. You guys got a resume around here somewhere?"

Soda directed Ponyboy to where the resumes were, and the fourteen year old began filling his out until it was time for Soda and Steve to leave. He placed the resume on Mike's desk as Steve finishing locking all the doors but the front one.

"Come on, kid, hurry it up," Steve complained. Pony rolled his eyes, lightly jogging to the door as Steve closed it behind him.

"Admit it, Steve, you would love for me to work here."

"You're real funny, kid. No, what I would love to see is you shutting your mouth and leaving me alone."

"Touchy. Is someone on the rag?" Soda joked, earning a swing from Steve.

"Curtis's," Steve mumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes.

 **~ Saturday, November 19, 1966 ~**

The resume wasn't thought about much for the next week. Soda and Steve went to work as if nothing happened, and Pony continued spending his days at school and his nights studying and reading. That was, until a phone call for a Ponyboy Curtis came one Saturday night.

"Hello?" Ponyboy answered as his dad handed him the phone, confusion clouding his features. When he heard the familiar voice on the other end, it sent the pieces flying together.

"Hello, Ponyboy. This is Mike. I'm calling about your resume," he explained, "I don't think there's much need for an interview. You're Soda's brother, and he's a good employee. This is the last time, however, that being a relative of one of my employees will earn you any favors, got it? I expect you in here next week, working just as hard as everyone else."

"Yes, Sir. I'll be in," Ponyboy replied, and he couldn't help but allow elation to fill his voice. _Finally, he had a job!_

 **A/N: This is short, I know, but the next one will be a lot longer to make up for it. Thanksgiving is up next!**

 ***** I'll be honest here, I can only focus on one thing at once, and going back and forth between series has messed me up, and in all honestly I'm getting bored of this story. I know it's not as long as it should be, but I think I'm going to wrap it up in about three more chapters.**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	11. Chapter 11

**One Step At A Time**

 **Summary : **_When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life as a fourteen year old with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)_

 **Disclaimer: No, silly, I never have nor will I ever own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. *sighs* :( I simply borrow them for my own creative enjoyment purposes.**

 **White collar black wolf: Thank you for taking the time to review. I'm glad that you did. :)  
**

 **Kas3y: Thank you so much! :)**

 **HappierThanMost: Thank you so much for reviewing, as always! I love writing Steve, I actually think my next story might include more of him, not sure. That's so true though! I'm sorry to be cutting it short. :(**

 **Amanda (Guest): I'm glad that you do. Thank you so much for reviewing, Amandi.**

 **SunnyDreams (Guest): Aww, thank you so much! Your comment made my day. And I used to hate Steve, but now I actually really enjoy writing about him. Again, thank you so much for your review. :)**

 **Chapter 11: Thanksgiving Wishes and Drag Races**

 **~ Wednesday, November 23, 1966 ~**

"Darry!" Ponyboy exclaimed as he walked into the house, a huge smile spreading across the younger boy's face.

"Hey, kiddo," Darry greeted, wrapping an arm around Ponyboy's shoulder. "I'm sorry I'm late. There was a bunch of construction. Are you guys ready to go?"

For the past four years, the Curtis brothers went to the drag races the day before thanksgiving. The event was really popular with a lot of greasers, and Soda had been racing ever since he got his license. Ponyboy hadn't been able to go the first year Soda raced, he had a high fever over the entire Thanksgiving break, so today would be the first day he could see Soda race at such a big event.

"Yeah, I'm ready if Soda is," Ponyboy responded. Darry called out Soda's name impatiently, who just grumbled back, "I'm coming, I'm coming. Hold your horses."

A minute later Soda came rushing out of his room with only one shoe on, but neither brother spoke of it. As long as he exited the car with both shoes, the way he went in didn't matter.

"Wait, Darry, are you sure you guys should do this? It was raining earlier, the roads might still be wet..." Darrel spoke up suddenly, sounding worried and unsure.

"Yes, Dad, we are going to be just fine. I promise. Okay? See ya later," Darry responded as he turned the knob to open the door.

"Fine... Bye, boys," Darrel responded reluctantly, unable to shake the pit that weighed heavily in his stomach. They would be fine, right?

How very wrong he was.

 **OoOoOoO**

"You're gonna kill it, Soda. Show Steve who's boss," Darry encouraged as Soda started his engine. Sodapop sat in the front seat, a competitive gleam in his chocolate brown eyes, while Ponyboy was in the passenger seat. Passengers weren't a common or encouraged occurrence, but Soda wanted to show his little brother a front row seat to the year-long anticipated event since he had to miss last year's race.

Soda and Steve made eye contact from their separate cars, both of their faces filled with excitement, but held a competitive hardness, similar to their expressions before a rumble. As easy going as Soda was, he was extremely competitive, and Ponyboy had no doubt that the car Soda had put together himself could outrun Steve's easily.

"Three...Two...One...Go!"

Tires squealed before the two were off. Ponyboy felt himself grinning, unable to help getting caught up in the excitement of it all. It seemed to take just three or four seconds to get to the finish line, just the blink of an eye, before he beat Steve's by just under half a car.

As Soda hit the brakes, a puddle of water went unnoticed by the two brothers, until the submerged tire began to spin. Even as Soda tried to correct his steering, he began driving on more wet pavement, causing the back end to go fish tailing.

And suddenly, going well above sixty miles per hour, Steve's car collided with the passenger side of Sodapop's, and then everything fell apart.

 **OoOoOoO**

"What the-" Steve exclaimed after things finally stopped moving, letting out a few startled curses, his head pounding from making contact with the steering wheel. Broken glass seemed to cover everything, and a few pieces were embedded into Steve's arm. But besides the front of his car being totally bent and squished, that seemed to be all the damage the accident caused.

Until Steve looked over at Sodapop's bloody mess of a car and proceeded to get sick.

 **OoOoOoO**

Pain. It seeped past the skin into the muscles before settling into the bones of his legs, seeming to eat away at him from the inside out. It pounded at the front of his skull, a constant jackhammer against his brain. It burned his chest, each breath a painful struggle. He begged for relief, to slip away from the agony of consciousness, as one word spilled repeatedly from his mouth.

"Ponyboy...Pony...wake up, _please_."

 **OoOoOoO**

Darry couldn't tell you what had exactly happened that night, the details were too blurred with unrelenting fear. All he knew was one minute he was screaming and hollering for his brother's victory, and the next he was ripping open the door of his brother's car in all of its mangled, devastating condition.

"Soda!"

"''M okay. Just... Just get Pony," Sodapop mumbled, his voice filled with pain. Darry nodded, although Soda didn't see him, and began to carefully pull Ponyboy's broken body from its place inside the car.

"Tim! Help Steve. I got my brothers," Darry found himself saying, as he saw none other than Tim Shepard running up next to him out of the corner of his eye before he disappeared.

Darry hated to admit it, but Ponyboy looked dead. A steady stream of blood was trickling out of his nose, mixing with the blood that was pouring out of a deep gash across Ponyboy's left cheek. His prosthetic was obviously broken beyond use, and Ponyboy's or her leg looked worse for wear, bent awkwardly at the knee in a way that a leg was _not_ supposed to bend. And that didn't even cover what Darry couldn't see, the injuries hidden by clothing and blood.

 _Ponyboy, what have you gotten yourself into?_

 **A/N: Next chapter is the last! I know, I'm sad too. But I'm already working on my next story (A Ponyboy centered angst story) so if anyone has any requests for that, now would be the time. Thank you so much for reading! You guys have been a lovely audience. xD**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


	12. Chapter 12

**One Step At A Time**

 **Summary : **_When he was only two, a car accident took his leg, and his mother. Now, Ponyboy must learn to deal with life as a fourteen year old with only one leg. With the help six brothers and dad, he's just going to have to take it one step at a time. (Mr. Curtis is alive!)_

 **Disclaimer: No, silly, I never have nor will I ever own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. *sighs* :( I simply borrow them for my own creative enjoyment purposes.**

 **White collar black wolf: I'm happy that you think so. :) Thank you so much!**

 **Kas3y: Ha ha, same though. You'll have to find out in here. Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **Amanda (Guest): What did I do? I don't know. I think you'll have to wait and see. xD Thank you so much, as always, for all of your awesome reviews. :)  
**

 **Candymouse22: Maybe, maybe not. Thank you so much, as always, for taking the time to leave a review.**

 **Outsiders-stories-forever: Ooh, that sounds really cool! Definitely outing that in my notes. :) Thank you so much for your review!**

 **SunnyDreams (Guest): Well, good thing you get to find out what happens to everyone in this chapter! And exactly about Steve, and I definitely like showing him older and more mature, where he isn't thinking of Pony as a tag along kid but as one of his brothers. Thank you so much for your kind review!**

 **Guest: I know, I know! I'm terrible for leaving you guys with that cliffhanger. But you get to find out what happens in here. :) Thank you so much for your review.**

 **Chapter 12: Thanksgiving Traditions and University Revelations**

 **~ Wednesday, November 23, 1966 ~**

Soda soon found himself inside of an ambulance, its sirens wailing as they barreled down the streets towards the hospital. The noise made his head hurt, but something over his face prevented him from speaking. He could hear the paramedic workers' voices, but they kept sounding farther and farther away until he couldn't hear them anymore and he was engulfed in the bliss blanket of unconsciousness he had been wishing for earlier.

 **OoOoOoO**

The next time Sodapop woke up, he was in a hospital bed, Darry on one side of him, and his father on the other, both wearing a worried, tired expression.

"You awake, little buddy?"

"Mmm... Yeah, think so. Wha-...What happened?" Sodapop responded, his voice hoarse.

"Do you remember the drag race?"

"Yeah, yeah, we crashed, didn't we? Is Ponyboy okay?" Sodapop asked worriedly, his head becoming less and less foggy as he continued speaking.

"I told you guys not to go," Darrel broke in, sounding sad. "You have a sprained ankle, two broken ribs, and a few bruised ones. That steering wheel hit you pretty hard, you've been out on pain medicine for a couple of hours. The doc's gonna send some home with us for you for then next week, but you're gonna be released tomorrow morning."

"What about Pony?"

"He's alive, but unconscious. He's got a concussion, and seven stitches to that cut on his cheek, and he broken his knee, but after being in a cast for a few weeks he'll be okay," Darrel assured his middle son, masking his own worry with a false, calm bravado.

"Can I go see him?"

"I don't know if your doctors will allow that. I'll go ask, alright? They'll probably let you if you ride in a wheelchair," Darrel commented before he stood up and left in search of a doctor or a nurse.

"Is Steve okay?" Sodapop asked suddenly. Darry nodded.

"Yeah. He's gonna have a monster headache for the next few days, he's got a concussion too, but besides a few scrapes and that he's all good. I think it's about time for a new thanksgiving tradition, huh, little buddy?" Darry added the last part as a joke, hoping to lighten the situation as he shot his little brother a small smile.

"I think that sounds like a plan," Sodapop smiled. He had taken one too many risks, and this one could have ended completely differently. He had already lost his mom, he wouldn't dare to lose anyone else. Not if he could help it.

Now if he could just see that his little brother was okay for himself.

 **~ Thursday, November 12, 1970 ~**

"To conclude our presentation for the week on the biggest challenge you've faced, Ponyboy Curtis is going to read his presentation."

Pony gathered up his notes, unable to ignore the slight shaking of his hands as he stoop up in front of the class. After his teacher nodded, he began to read.

"Hey, everyone. As many of you know, I only have one complete leg. Which sort of makes me part bionic superhero." A few people in the class laughed, and Ponyboy took the opportunity to take a deep, steadying breath.

"I lost my leg in a car accident when I was two. My mom and I were hit by a car as we were walking on our way to trick or treat one Halloween in '54. She managed to save me, but not my leg, and she paid the price for that with her life. My leg was too badly broken to be saved," Ponyboy rolled up his pant leg to show everyone his prosthetic.

"Having only one leg comes with a lot of challenges, especially from bullies, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Everyone has their baggage and fair share of problems, it's rough all over. My problem is just a little more noticeable than most other people's. What makes us strong is how we deal with life's struggles, and I've definitely learned that. Winston Churchill once said _: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."_ This quote is something I've really tried to live by my whole life, and I hope you guys learn something from it as well. Thank you."

The class erupted into applause, and as the teacher began to speak Ponyboy's praises, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride because, against all odds, he had done it. He was here, on his second year of college on his way to having a degree in English Literature and a minor in journalism. He had gotten out, and he had made it. And he couldn't be prouder.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," the teacher's voice interrupted Ponyboy's daydream, "I want you to take this experience you presented to us and write a short story about how this has affected your life and made you the person you are today. Make sure to use literary devices we have learned the past semester. This, along with the presentation, will be what I use to tally up the grade for your final. Alright, class dismissed. Have a great night."

 **OoOoOoO**

That night, as he sat at his desk in his apartment, Ponyboy began writing, pouring out every ounce of frustration onto that page, like a cleanse after everything he had been through.

 _"I kicked a rock with my one good leg, listening to the clicks it made as it made its journey into the highway. After three light clicks, the sound was overpowered by a rumbling engine, a sound not made by any of the barely-running cars that belonged to the people on my side of town..."_

 **A/N: I appreciate everyone who has reviewed, favorited/followed, or even just read this story. You guys are so awesome and your support means so much. Below is a list of all the wonderful people who have reviewed, and I just want to thank them a billions because they absolutely rock.**

 **HappierThanMost**

 **Guest (1)**

 **White collar black wolf**

 **Kas3y**

 **Sofie (Guest)**

 **Amanda (Guest)**

 **Candymouse22**

 **KT (Guest)**

 **Guest (2)**

 **Outsiders-stories-forever**

 **RiceCrispy98**

 **SunnyDreams (Guest)**

 **P.S. Look out for my next story!**

 **Stay Gold,**

 **~ Alee XxX**


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